Art History: Collecting & Provenance in an International Context MSc

This Masters programme offers an interdisciplinary approach to studying the history of collecting and collections from an international perspective. In particular, it focuses on the trajectory of artefacts through time and space and their historical legacy. Subjects covered include methodological approaches and legal issues relating to provenance and restitution, illegal trafficking of cultural objects, connoisseurship, taste, the patterns of collecting and viewing both private and public, and the politics of display. The programme will move the collective debate beyond the Western tradition.

Why this programme

This programme is unique to Scotland and the UK as it combines aspects of art history and law and places them in a broad international context.

You will learn from world-leading researchers and develop expert knowledge in this specialised area of art history.

Glasgow’s civic and university collections are some of the richest and most diverse in Europe and are of international standing. The University’s own Hunterian Museum and Art gallery is the oldest public museum in Scotland and has extensive holdings covering fine art, geology, anatomy and the history of medicine. Furthermore, the facilities at Kelvin Hall support object-based study as a number of courses will include handling sessions of the objects in the collections.

Work placement opportunities are offered within the programme on a competitive basis. In addition to Scottish institutions, work placements may take place at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

Our research forum provides you with a lively and stimulating introduction to methodological debates within art history. It provides a sense of art history’s own history as well as contemporary concerns and practice, examining the beliefs and values that have informed various forms of historical and visual analysis and enquiry. It is focused around a series of seminars or workshops run by members of staff and visiting academics.

Summer: April to September

The learning and teaching approaches covered in the programme include: lectures (built around case studies), seminars and discussions (supported by relevant published sources), handling sessions and supervision.

Programme alteration or discontinuationThe University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.

Career prospects

This Masters programme is intended to provide you with a strong foundation from which to embark upon a career in the visual arts, the art market, museums and galleries, and heritage and historic properties.

Graduates have gone on to hold positions in museums and galleries (both public and private) in the UK and have, more broadly, entered the commercial, cultural and heritage sectors in a number of roles. The programme also provides an excellent platform for you to move into PhD studies and an academic career.

Fees & funding

Tuition fees for 2020-21

MSc

Home and EU

Full-time fee: £8500

Part-time fee: £944 per 20 credits

International

Full-time fee: £18370

Fee information is subject to change and is for guidance only

Additional fees

Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £360

Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £340

Registration/exam only fee: £160

Funding opportunities

College of Arts Graduate School

The College of Arts Graduate School offers a range of scholarships and funding opportunities each year.

John Buchan Mobility Scholarship

Recipients of this scholarship will be selected from applications received for the Research Support Awards. You may wish to indicate that you would like to be considered for one of these scholarships and you may also wish to alert your supervisor to this.

Scotland's Saltire Scholarships

Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships is a programme of scholarships offered by the Scottish Government in collaboration with Scottish universities. Our chosen scholars are people who aspire to become influential leaders in their future careers. They have wide ranging interests outside their studies and a desire to broaden their personal and academic experience in Scotland.

Scholarships are available to citizens of the following countries: Canada, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, India, Pakistan and USA. Saltire Scholars will also have the opportunity to take part in a programme of activities over and above their studies, including dialogue with the academic and business community in Scotland.

University of Glasgow/Glasgow International College Achievement Award

In conjunction with GIC we are pleased to reward our best-performing students who finish the Foundation or Pre-masters course with excellent grades and attendance. This is awarded as a one off tuition fee discount of £3,000

Postgraduate Talent Scholarships

The University of Glasgow awards Postgraduate Talent Scholarships each academic year to support students who could face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study at the University. The value of each scholarship is £2,000 and they are for students undertaking a one or two year Taught Masters programme, in any of the University’s Colleges. For two year Taught Masters programmes, the scholarship is available in year one only.

Sir Fitzroy Maclean Postgraduate Scholarship

The University of Glasgow is pleased to award a Sir Fitzroy Maclean Postgraduate scholarship available to new students, from one of the eligible countries, for September 2019 entry.

Sir Fitzroy Maclean was a Scottish soldier, author and politician. Awarded an Honorary degree of DLitt from the University in 1969, Sir Fitzroy Maclean had a long relationship with the University before he died in 1996. This scholarship was established with respect to Sir Fitzroy’s interests and passions.

The Scholarship will be awarded as a tuition fee discount and stipend.

University of Glasgow International Leadership Scholarship

The University of Glasgow has 40 International Leadership Scholarships available to international (non-EU) students starting a postgraduate taught Masters programme in any discipline in September. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fees discount.

PGT Excellence Scholarship

The University of Glasgow has a total of 28 PGT Excellence Awards available to UK and EU Students. Scholarships are available to students entering any of the University’s colleges and are awarded as a tuition fee discount.

Alumni Discount

The University offers a 10% discount on all Postgraduate Research and full Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni. This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Study Abroad programme or the Erasmus Programme at the University of Glasgow. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes.

Postgraduate Loans for Welsh Students

If you are a Welsh student looking to study a postgraduate programme* in Glasgow then you can apply for a student loan in exactly the same way as you would for a Welsh University.

* does not apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes

Postgraduate Master's Finance

If you’re starting a full-time or part-time Postgraduate Master’s course (taught or research based) from 1 August 2019, you can apply for Postgraduate Master's Finance and receive up to £17,000 as a combination of grant and loan:

a maximum grant of £6,885 and loan of £10,115 if your household income is £18,370 and below

a grant of £1,000 and loan of £16,000 if your household income is not taken into account or is above £59,200.

Humanitarian Scholarships

The University of Glasgow is offering 4 scholarships (one per college) for applicants to the University who are staying in the UK on humanitarian grounds and are facing challenges in progressing onto Higher Education. The scholarship is open to prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University of Glasgow applying for entry in 2019. The scholarship meets the full cost of tuition fees for the duration of your programme as well providing an additional £4,000 per year stipend, if the eligibility criteria for university accommodation is met this will also be provided for the duration of your degree. For more information on the accommodation criteria please see the Residential Services section on the website.

We are also offering 4 scholarships to students who hold refugee status. This scholarship is awarded as a £5,000 per year stipend toward living costs per year of study.

The Clan Gregor Society Prize

The Clan Gregor Society are offering an award to new entrants to the University of Glasgow who descend from Clan Gregor. Prospective students will be asked to submit an application highlighting areas of consideration such as academic excellence and financial need. The award is open to both Undergraduate and postgraduate applicants.

For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept an IELTS test (Academic module) from any of the 1000 IELTS test centres from around the world and we do not require a specific UKVI IELTS test for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.

Pre-sessional courses

The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

FAQs

What do I do if...

my language qualifications are below the requirements?

The University's English for Academic Study Unit offers a range of Pre-Sessional Courses to bring you up to entry level. The course is accredited by BALEAP, the UK professional association for academic English teaching; see Links.

Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.

Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.

Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.

Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.

Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.

English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).

Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.

Reference: Please provide one reference. This should typically be an academic reference but in cases where this is not possible then a reference from a current employer may be accepted instead. Certain programmes, such as the MBA programme, may also accept an employer reference. If you already have a copy of a reference on letter headed paper then please upload this to your application. If you do not already have a reference to upload then please enter your referee’s name and contact details on the online application and we will contact your referee directly.

Standard application deadlines

International applications (non-EU): 21 July 2019

UK and EU applications: 25 August 2019

Classes start September 2019 and you may be expected to attend induction sessions the week before.